The family of Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old U.S. airman who was shot and killed by a Florida sheriff’s deputy in May, is demanding that charges be filed against the law enforcement officer. The deputy, who has since been fired, shot Fortson six times.
In a news conference in Florida on Friday, Ben Crump, one of the attorneys representing the Fortson family, said that while shooting investigations take time, the family is concerned about how long the investigation has taken, given that the incident was captured on body camera video.
"Just watch the video. It’s on video, y’all. It ain’t no mystery what happened … what is so hard about this investigation?" Crump said.
"Normally for Black people in America, when they delay, delay, delay, that's them trying to sweep it under the rug," he added.
Fortson’s sister, Raven, also demanded justice for her brother. She told the audience Friday that she was worried that former Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy Eddie Duran would “take someone else’s family member” if he is not held accountable for her brother’s death. Duran was fired following the incident.
Roger Fortson "spent his career, his life, protecting his country. He deserves to be honored and protected like he protected us," she said. "Why is it taking this long? It shouldn't be taking this long. My brother was murdered. He killed him for existing."
Chantemekki Fortson, Fortson's mother, called on State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden to “do the right thing” regarding the investigation.
"My child rescued people within a split second. Look how long it’s taking America to rescue him," she said.
Bowden Madden's office did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on the investigation's status.
Many questions surrounding Fortson's death remain unanswered
Fortson was shot and killed on May 3 during an incident involving the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. According to authorities, the sheriff's office sent deputies to Fortson's apartment in response to a disturbance call.
Fortson was alone in his apartment and on FaceTime with his girlfriend when a deputy, later identified as Duran, approached his door, his family's lawyers told NPR.
In bodycam footage, Duran is seen knocking on the door and announcing himself as law enforcement. Fortson then appears while holding a gun pointed toward the ground. Duran immediately fired shots multiple times.
Fortson later died in the hospital.
Crump told reporters in May that Fortson didn't hear the deputy announce himself and grabbed his gun for his own protection. The attorney also said that Duran was never meant to go to Fortson's apartment.
Brian Barr, another family attorney, previously told NPR there was a complaint regarding an apartment, but it was not Fortson's.
The deputy who shot and killed Fortson was fired from his job
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said following the shooting that Duran reacted in self-defense after encountering an "armed man." An investigation led by Florida's Department of Law Enforcement is ongoing, and the state attorney's office will determine if further action is taken.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department announced on May 31 that Duran was fired following the completion of a internal affairs investigation.
The investigation concluded that Duran's use of deadly force was "not objectively reasonable and therefore violated agency policy." In its release, the sheriff’s office said the investigation was “limited in scope” to determine whether Duran violated the agency’s policy.
“This tragic incident should have never occurred,” Aden said. “The objective facts do not support the use of deadly force as an appropriate response to Mr. Fortson’s actions. Mr. Fortson did not commit any crime. By all accounts, he was an exceptional airman and individual.”
Following Duran's termination, Crump said that while his firing is a "step forward," it does not fully ensure justice for Fortson and his family.
"The actions of this deputy were not just negligent, they were criminal," Crump said.
"Just as we did for Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, and Breonna Taylor, we will continue to fight for full justice and accountability for Roger Fortson, as well as every other innocent Black man and woman gunned down by law enforcement in the presumed safety of their own home," he added.
He was a gifted teen who became an "amazing young man"
Those who spoke at his funeral on May 17 in Stonecrest, Ga., marveled at how Fortson transformed himself from a fun-loving teenager into a young man with a sense of purpose.
"He was one of our gifted students," said Fortson's former principal, Loukisha Walker, of Ronald E. McNair High School.
"He didn't always act gifted," she said — but Fortson gained focus, she added, when he notched "an amazing score" on the military's aptitude test, the ASVAB.
"He was able to figure out exactly what it was he wanted to do" and make his mother — and his principal — proud, Walker said. "He was an amazing young man."
Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of the First Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., described Fortson as a "man of honor, a man of integrity, a man of courage."
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